The Pain That Comes With Loss
by Thewriterinside02
Summary: Luciana "Lance" McClain disappeared without a trace. No one knows where she is or how she is fairing or if she is dead. They go through unimaginable pain at the loss of their daughter, their sister, part of their world. But, little did they know they didn't actually lose her. (Fem! Lance, multiple oc's in the Lance's family)
1. Prolouge

**Prologue:**

A middle-aged woman stands at the doorway of her daughter's room. She stares at her little girl, who is not so little anymore, as she places essentially her entire closet into several open suit cases.

"Are you sure you don't need more winter clothes, Luciana?" The woman said. Luciana, who also goes by Lance, rolls her eyes at her mother's worry wart tendencies.

"Mámá, The Garrison is in the middle of the desert. The day that they experience anything below -9 degrees in the day time is the day that hell freezes over!" Lance exclaims and laughs.

Her mother sighs and moves towards her. "I know, Hija, but you are going to be so far from home and I worry."

Lance smiles softly and pulls her mother into a firm embrace. Her mother pulls away and gently cups Lance's cheeks. She tilts Lance's forehead forwards and kisses the top of her head as gentle tears stream down her face.

A boy of about 13 bursts into the room. "Mámá! Lance! Santiago is here!" he said.

"Okay! Gracias, Luis!" her mother said.

They quickly follow Lance's little brother out to the front room to greet the arrival of their family member.

"Santi! You came!" Lance exclaimed as she ran into her older brother's arms.

"Of course, I came Princesa!" Santiago exclaimed, "I wouldn't miss your farewell party."

Santiago hugged his younger sister and exclaimed, "Oh! I can't believe you are leaving to the Galaxy Garrison Academy tomorrow, Lance! It seems like yesterday you were six years old and we were running on the beach!"

Santiago hugs their mother and goes to greet the other house guests.

"It smells good in here!" Santiago said, "what are we having?"

Their abuela Claudia looks up from stirring from her fried plantains and replied, "Luciana's favorite, Ropa Vieje and Buñuelo for dessert." She put down her spoon and turned off the stove and walked to the back door.

"Food is ready!" she called.

Dozens of children of all ages came barreling into the house and gather around the kitchen, some exchanging hugs with Santiago, others running to their respective parents. Once they were all there, they blessed the food then started to pile their plates with delicious food.

Lance looked around the room then frowned slightly. Her older sister wasn't there. Her frown faded into a into a look of dejection. _I shouldn't be surprised that she isn't here, but…_ she sighed _I wish I could just see her one last time._

The pressure of a hand placed softly on her left shoulder pulled her out of her reverie. She jumped slightly and looked to her left. There she saw her father, Mateo, looking concerned. "What's wrong, preciosa?" he asked, "Why do you look so down?"

Lance wrung her hands and replied, "It's- it's just that…" she took a shuddering breathe, "I was kinda hoping that Sofia would show up. But, I guess she's not here."

A tear slid down her cheek. Then she was pulled into a fatherly embrace and she held her father tightly. She held onto him for about a minute before pulling away, she looked up at him and shakily smiled at him. She felt the scratchiness of her father's well-kept beard as he placed a kiss her forehead and they walked towards the counter towards her comfort food.

The night was filled with laughter and memories. When the party was over, it was filled with tearful goodbyes and promises to write and to videochat. Lance went to her room and got into bed. She was almost asleep when she heard a small voice say, "Lance, are you awake?"

Lance sat up in her bed and looked at a little girl of about eight years old standing at her doorway. "Yeah, I am," she replied and beckoned her little sister closer.

"What's wrong, Isabella?" Lance asked.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Lance smiled. "Of course you can! I have been known to deny anything to princesas such you."

Lance picked Isabella up and put her on her lap then started tickling her. The room was filled with childish laughter. "Ja, ja, ja!" Isabella exclaimed through her giggles.

"Oh, all right," Lance said, feigning defeat.

Isabella moved to Lance's left and cuddled next to her older sister. The room was filled with silence for about ten seconds. "I'm going to miss you, Lance," Isabella said tearfully.

"I'm going to miss you to, Chiquita." Lance pulled her sister closer and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Come on, go to sleep. I have to get to up early in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

Maria was washing dishes in the kitchen when she heard the knock on the door. She heard her husband say "I'll get it." And she went back to washing the dishes.

"Maria!" Mateo frantically called.

Maria rushed to the front door and she was greeted with the sight of a tall man in a pristine uniform with the Garrison logo on it and baring the markings of a lieutenant. Maria tentatively walked closer to the door. "I assume you are Mr. and Mrs. McClain?"

Mateo nodded. The lieutenant sighed. "I am sorry to inform you that Cadet Luciana McClain and two other cadets were reported missing by Garrison administration on Tuesday, March 12. Efforts are being put in by multiple search and rescue teams."

Maria covered her mouth with her hand. Those were words that no mother should have to hear. "Missing?" Maria said and she started to sob.

The lieutenant solemnly nodded then said, "We will keep you informed on any progress we have made concerning your daughter's disappearance."

He turned around and left, leaving the parents to grieve and hope that their baby girl will be brought home safely.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into a month. Then two months. Then three; but, they were able to find them. The missing cadets were declared to be presumed dead.

The McClain's knew that the circumstances behind Lance's disappearance were fishy and that the Garrison knew more than they let on. But, either way, they were forced to bury an empty coffin.

* * *

Santiago looked out into the rolling waves of the vast ocean that surrounded their tiny island that he calls home. The skies were stormy and gray, reflecting his turmoil that overwhelmed him with thoughts of Lance and his sister, Sofia and her self-destructive path.

"I thought I'd find you here, hijo."

Santiago turned and saw his father hobbling towards him. Santiago turned back to face the ocean's mist and the sounds of the crashes of the waves. Mateo stood next to his son. "Come back to the house, Santiago. The breeze is getting stronger, they are reporting a major storm."

Santiago shook his head. "No. Not while Sofia is there," he said coldly.

Mateo sighed. "Santi," Mateo said softly, "in times like this we need to stick together. You are not the only one that has lost their sister—"

"Then why doesn't she act like it?" Santiago yelled, "She just barged in there, introducing her latest "love of her life" and clearly not sober, as usual. She is acting like she wasn't even aware that Luciana is gone, that she is missing! That she is somewhere out there alone and possibly scared! That there is a possibility that that casket may not be empty for much longer!"

Santiago kicked the sand in anger, frustration, and grief. He fell onto his hands and knees on the smooth, white sand of the beach. Tears streamed down his face like river rapids.

Mateo knelt next to his eldest child and held him close, as if trying to protect him from the pain that grief cruelly gives. "Where is she Papí?" Santiago said through his sobs, "Where is my little sister?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Three months later…**

 **Pew, pew, pew, pew. Fruoosh. Boom.** "I'm getting hounded over here guys!" Lance exclaimed as she dodged pillar after pillar of strange purple rock.

The Paladins latest mission hadn't gone quite as planned.

The plan was to travel to the Planet, Cax - a barren planet that is essentially just purple, obsidian like rock – in order infiltrate the base that the Galra was using as a data archive. They had expected it to be smooth sailing, however, they weren't expecting the arrival of a Galra battle class cruiser. Now, they were playing tag with a swarm of Galra fighter jets.

"We are all in the same situation, Lance!" Pidge snapped as the sounds of explosions echoed in the background.

Lance growled in frustration as she continued to try and shake the small swarm of pods off her tail. Suddenly, more Galra ships appeared ahead, coming towards her at alarming speeds. Lance yelped and quickly jerked the control yokes towards her to propel Blue upwards, narrowly missing the squadron of ships. **Boom!** The ships collided into each other. Blue was projected roughly forward when the shock wave of the explosion made contact.

"Woah!" Lance was spinning out of control. Suddenly, she was harshly jerked forward and was slammed back into the pilot's chair as Blue came to an abrupt stop. Keith had managed to catch her with the Red Lion.

"I got you Lance!" Keith shouted in relieved triumph over the comms.

Keith managed to land both lions on a large plateau as Lance groaned at the pain in her neck and shoulders. "Thanks, cariño," she said through her pain.

"Oh no!" Coran shouted in alarm.

"What's happening?" Shiro asked, dread pooling at the bottom of his stomach.

"The Galra are aiming their ion canon at the archive!" Princess Allura exclaimed, "Paladins, you need to get out of there immediately!"

Red lifted off the plateau, and started to book it out of there. Lance moved to grab the control yokes, but her dull ache turned into an excruciatingly sharp pain that started from the top of her neck down to her lower back.

"Ah!" she screamed in pain.

"Lance what's wrong?" Keith asked in concern.

"I-I can't move…"

"What do you mean you can't move?"

"I can- I can't… it hurts!" she screamed.

Keith thrusted the control yokes forward, making Red nosedive swiftly towards the Blue Lion. He jerked the yokes toward him as he aimed at Blue, causing Red to swoop and grab her.

Keith booked it out of the planet into space, just barely making it before the ion beam made impact with its target; decimating the archive and the surrounding area.

Allura immediately shut her eyes and opened a wormhole using the Teladuv on the Castle of Lions. Coran pushed the thrusters at full throttle, propelling the castle into the wormhole with the Lions following close behind. Once everyone was through, the wormhole vanished as quickly as it appeared.

* * *

A million lightyears away a wormhole suddenly appeared amongst the beautiful blues and reds of the nebulas of the constellation of Gasterberus. The Castle of Lions – followed by the paladins – burst the hole and gradually slowed the ship. They were safe.

"Lance, you okay?" Keith softly asked.

"My he'd h'rts, Keith." Her speech was slurred.

"Guys," Keith called to the others, "Its Lance, I think she may be injured!"

"What?" Hunk exclaimed in horror, "What happened? Is she going to be okay?"

"Allura, Coran, we are going to need a healing pod." Shiro said in concern.

"What? Who got injured?" Allura asked.

"Lance, but we don't know how badly," Pidge said as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

The paladins hastily entered the hanger of the Castle of Lions. Keith gentlely placed Blue down so it wouldn't irritate Lance's injury, causing more problems in the long run.

Keith quickly landed Red right next to Blue. As soon as Red touched the ground, Keith jumped impatiently out of Red and sprinted towards Blue. Once he reached her, though, Blue wouldn't open.

"Blue!" Keith called to the lion, "its me, Keith! You have to open up, so I can get to Lance!" Blue would not budge. Keith slightly growled in frustration.

"Blue, I know you are worried about her but so are the rest of us! If you don't open, we can't give Lance the medical attention she needs! Please!"

Blue hesitantly opened the cockpit as Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk came barreling over to Blue. The quartet frantically entered into the cockpit to get to their injured friend. Keith was the first one to reach Lance.

"Lance," he knelt beside her chair and cupped her cheek, "Lance, can you hear me?"

Lance tried to hold his gaze and respond, but she couldn't focus. Everything hurt. Shiro put his hand on her shoulder causing her to yelp in pain when it jarred her injury, making him quickly withdraw.

"Lance, where does it hurt?" Shiro asked softly.

Lance frowned and thought hard. "My head… my neck… shoulders… and my back?" she managed.

"Any where else?"

She shook her head.

"Allura, you don't happen to have an immobilizer, would you?" Shiro asked.

"Immobilizer?"

"Something that won't move Lance while we carry her to the infirmary!" Pidge cut in impatiently.

"Ah! Yes! We do have something like that!" Coran responded abruptly, "I'll be down there in five dobashes with it! Sit tight!"

Shiro stood up. "So, what do we know?" he asked.

"She has pain in her neck, back, and shoulders," Pidge said.

"And, when I found seemed like she had a hard time focusing, and she was complaining that she had a headache," Keith added.

"When you asked her what hurts, it looked like she had a hard time remembering where, too!" Hunk supplied, "Hmm. It sounds like a bad case of Whiplash."

Pidge looked at him with her right eyebrow raised slightly. "How can you tell?"

"Oh! My mom got in a car accident about to years ago and she had to be treated for whiplash," Hunk rambled, "She had the same problems Lance is having."

Coran rapidly entered the cockpit, pulling a hovering platinum platform behind him. "I've got the Stisabeck! Keith, help me put her on it."

Coran lowered the Stisabeck to the floor and went to Lances right side while Keith moved to her left. They gently lifted her off the pilot's chair, but she screamed in pain regardless. They timidly placed her on the Stisabeck so that she was lying down flat on her back. Coran pressed a button on the equipment, suddenly making cyan blue straps appear along her body, Making her immobile.

The team carefully brought her to the infirmary where Allura was waiting for them. She rushed to their side as they brought her in.

"Do we know how badly injured she is?" She asked in concern.

Shiro responded, "Yeah, maybe. We think she has Whiplash."

"Whiplash?"

Shiro rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Essentially whiplash is a neck sprain. Its caused when someone is abruptly jerked in a forward or backward motion."

"Princess," Coran called.

Allura turned to him. "We need to get Lance's amour off. She is behind the curtain with Pidge." He gestured to the right corner of the room that had cream colored drapes blocking off a small section of the room. Allura quickly walked over and disappeared behind the curtain to help Pidge prep the patient.

"So, what happened that caused Lance to get this Whiplash?" Coran asked as he stroked his bushy, orange mustache.

It was silent for a minute. They racked their brains by playing and replaying their memories of the missions, trying to figure out what could have possibly given Lance whiplash. Then Keith gasped in horrible realization.

"When I caught her!" he exclaimed. The team looked at him with confused looks.

"When she was being chased by the sentinels back on Cax! She was trying to shake them off, but something exploded, and it sent her and Blue flying out of control!" he said, his voice dripping in distress, "She was going to crash, and I caught her before she could. When I caught her, the sudden stop must have injured her neck!"

Shiro walked towards him and squeezed his arm. "Keith, it wasn't your fault. If you hadn't caught her then her injuries would have been a lot worse," he said.

"But-"

"He is right you know," Everyone jumped and looked at Pidge, "according to the scans that Allura did, the injury isn't actually too bad! She said that she should be out of the healing pod in about one varga, if we are lucky!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Now, all there is left to do is wait.

* * *

The paladins, plus Allura, was scattered about the infirmary. Pidge was working on decoding the encryptions from the files they were able to pull from the archive before it was blown up, Hunk was propped up against the healing pod adjacent to the pod Lance was in and was taking a nap, Shiro was off to the side doing multiple reps of sit-ups and push-ups, and Allura was working on documenting Lance's whiplash injury into the mainframe for future use and/or research.

Keith, on the other hand, hadn't stopped staring at Lance sleeping inside the healing pod for almost forty-five minutes now. He gazed at her face and felt a little guilt pierce his heart. _It wasn't my fault,_ he chastised himself, _If I hadn't intervened she would be in that pod for a lot longer than one varga._ The attempted self-pep talk didn't help.

So, he continued to sit there, wallowing in his irrational guilt. He didn't know why he felt so guilty. Maybe it was being a contributor to her injury or maybe it was being too late to help her when she was being chased. He looked up at her face and stared at it. He traced the lines of her feminine jawline.

Keith knew he had feelings for her, but only just recently realized it after some major research into why he felt nervous and shy every time she smiled or laughed; why he felt flustered every time she teased him.

He would like to tell her how he feels but, there was a few problems: 1. His ever present fear of reject - blame his childhood trauma. 2. He just didn't know how. He isn't very well versed in the art of social interaction like she was. It was a quality that annoyed him at first but after the first two months after being chosen to be part of Voltron, he has learned to appreciate it, it was one of the things he loved about her. So, he just settles on trying to spend time with her when time would allow, feeling content, for now.

He was gently pulled back into reality when the soft chime of the timer went off. Everyone quickly stood up from their places and rushed towards the Pod as it opened. Keith was the first to reach her, catching her as she stubbled out of the pod. Keith carefully lifted her left arm and wrapped it around his neck while he placed his right hand on her hip to support her.

Pidge and Hunk lunged forward crying, "Lance, you're okay!" pulling her into a tight hug whilst still being supported up by Keith.

"Yeah, I am!" she said tiredly, but smiled none the less, "a little whiplash isn't going to keep me down. I'm too pretty."

Everyone chuckled and smiled in relief. "All right, lets go get you something to eat so you can rest, okay?" Allura suggested.

"Rest? That is an outrage! I believe I have already rested plenty." Lance whined.

"Lance, you were treated for a _neck_ injury!" Keith exclaimed in disbelief, "Its serious! You need to rest!"

"Keith, I was joking, cariño," Lance said exasperatedly in defeat.

Keith looked away bright red as a tomato. "O-oh"

This caused everyone – including Lance - to laugh at his flustered embarrassment. Keith smiled shyly as they all left the infirmary.


	4. Chapter 4

"They just keep coming! How many of these things are there!" Their neighbor, Juán, exclaimed in disbelief.

The neighborhood was gathered around the small television on the front porch of the McClain house. Everyone (EVERYONE even the young children) gawked at the scene playing out in front of them. Hundreds upon hundreds of alien creatures, of some sort, were pouring out of a big hole in the sky, annihilating the entire city of New York. All the while, a group of people - that call themselves the Avengers - tried to stop the invasion.

Maria and some of the other women constantly looked away from the screen, the men stared at the screen with worry almost permanently etched on their faces as they held their wives and children, the children looked on in a morbid curiosity as they clung to the sides of the adults. All praying to God above for the attack to stop.

Santiago looked at the screen in a calculative glare. In the past few months he became obsessive with finding answers and clues to Lance's disappearance. And because of his obsession, he barely graduated college and even quit Judo! The happy-go-lucky kid that he once was gone. And it may just be these invaders' fault.

"What if they took her," he suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him, confused. "What if it was aliens that took Lance," he elaborated.

Maria facepalmed in exasperation and cried, "Santiago, ja! Enough!"

"Why? It is the only thing we haven't considered! Look!" Santiago points at the screen, "aliens are real! They are real as you and me and everyone here! So why not? It would explain why we can't find her and why the Galaxy Garrison keeps hitting us with blockades—"

"Why they keep hitting you with blockades!" his brother, Luís, interrupted angrily, "Santiago, **_basta_**! You are obsessed! Its unhealthy; for you, for all of us! So, what if aliens took Lance, what can you do?"

Tears started to well up in Luis's eyes. "Just stop, Santi," he pleaded, his voice breaking with emotional strain, "We have already lost so much, don't make us lose you too."

Santiago clenched his fists and jaw then turned and stomped out of the yard. He needed to clear his head.

"He has changed so much these past few months," Abuela Claudia said solemnly as the others watched him leave, "He used to be such a happy boy. But, now all there is anger."

Maria sighed in frustration and plopped down on the stairs. She buried her face in her hands.

"I don't know what to do Claudia," she cried, "Sofia is now in jail. Then Luciana… and now I am losing Santiago now, too!"

Maria sobbed into her mother-in-law's embrace. "What did I do? Why am I losing my babies?"

Abuela Claudia sat and cried with her daughter, both clung to each other like it was the end of the world (which might as well could have been).

"Mira, Papí! Iron Man is flying into the big hole in the sky!" Isabella exclaimed in excitment.

Everyone stared tensely at the television, the adults held their breathes. Suddenly, the robot creatures shut down and collapsed to the ground. The wormhole started to close shut, but at the last second Tony Stark emerged from the wormhole. There was one problem, however, he kept falling and he wasn't stopping his fall.

"Why isn't he stopping?" Isabella cried nervously.

Her worry was forgotten as a green blur suddenly appeared and caught the man of iron in mid-air, bringing him to (relative) safety. The invasion was over!

"It's over!"

"Alabanza!"

"It stopped!"

The people of the neighborhood cried and embraced in glee. The couples kissed their significant others and their children. The entire town rang with celebration over the victory. Earth had won a Galra invasion.


End file.
